Brandt Clarke, D
This past week, Kings' players talked to the media in press conferences in the exit interviews following the conclusion of the 2025-26 season in the West.
It is a major priority this upcoming offseason in the summer of 2026 that the Kings and Holland in the front office re-sign impending restricted free agent and young 23-year-old defenseman Brandt Clarke. In the exit interviews with the media in press conferences in this past week, Clarke said the state of his contract and his role on the blue line on defense in the active roster lineup in the West were important parts of negotiations this upcoming offseason in the summer.
He pretty clearly wants to stay with the Kings' team for the foreseeable future in the West.
"I want to be here, I love Los Angeles, I love my teammates, I love being in that locker room. That's what I want. I've expressed that since I got to Los Angeles, I love being here, and my mentality hasn't changed over the years."Brandt Clarke
Clarke played most of the 2025-26 regular season on the blue line on defense with the second defensive pairing with Joel Edmundson. He registered a career-high 40 points on the blue line on defense for the Kings this past regular season.
Verdict: Staying
Andrei Kuzmenko, W
I don't think there was much we can take for interest from Kuzmenko regarding his exit interview with the media for the Kings this past week. When a reporter asked him about his status and interest in re-signing with the Kings' team this upcoming offseason in the summer in free agency as an unrestricted free agent, Kuzmenko said "we'll see".
Verdict: Leaving
Mathieu Joseph, W
Holland and the Kings in the front office made the move on the trade block and at the deadline in this past couple of months to acquire power forward Mathieu Joseph to sign him from the waiver wire in free agency in early March in the West.
Of all the Kings' players on this list who I've mentioned among the ones who could leave via free agency as a restricted or unrestricted free agent this upcoming offseason in the summer of 2026, Joseph is probably the most likely to stay. I just think given his lack of playing time on the ice and in the active roster lineup this past regular season in this past couple of months down the stretch, it would make sense that the Kings let younger players step up and develop in the league in the NHL.
Verdict: Leaving
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